Wire sealing machine



Dec. 18, 1934. w Km 1,984,882

WIRE SEALING MACHINE Q Filed Aug. 16, 1932. 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 18, 1934. w. KING WIRE SEALING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16, 1932 4 SheetsSheet wiuram Klh Dec. 18, 1934. w. KING WIRE SEALING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 16, 1932 'wl lh um g INVENTOR'.

Is} 11% mm Dec. 18, 1934. w. KING 1,984,882

,WIRE SEALING MACHINE l ml Filed Aug. 16, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 22 4 6 f y la zz d e f y z W .i 4 W William Klng INVENTOFZ;

Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED s r-Ares WIRE SEALING MACHINE William ,King, Glapham Park, London, England Application August 16,

In Great Britain November-17,, l93l 7 Ula'ims.

{this invention relates to improvements :in wine sealing machines, and 'has :for its chief object :to provide an improved :wire sealing machine for crushing and/or :icorrugating the wire seals described in ,my co-pending patent application =.S e- :Iial 'No. 629,024, .filed August 1 6, 19.32, nowsissued as Patent Number 1,948,719, dated Feb. 257, 1934. The sealing machine according to the :present invention has, however, several advantageous :features which, while rendering the same particularly applicable for use with the .seals deseribed in my co-pending patent application above referred to, at the same time enable ,the'

machine to be "used with advantage with other iorms of .seal. j

Machines ,1 or use in crushing land/or corrugating wire seals have heretofore been ln tqposed, and :they comprise briefly-a wire tensioning device, a crusher, which is adapted to be forced downon to .an anvil 'block on which the seal and wire is placed, panda cutter to sever the wire efter the seal has been crushed :and/or corrugated, The crusher has heretofore been in the form of .a single member, and consequently :the whole strain has been :thrownon to the machine at once. This not only necessitates a-considerable amountof labour on the part of the man using the device, but also has often resulted in deformation of thexanvil block.

compared with these prior proposals, the machine, according to the present invention, will result .in :a considerable saving of labour.

The sealing machine, according to the ,present invention, is characterized in :that the crushing member is in the form :of a plurality of independent crushers which are :operated one after the other.

g The strain is thus distributed evenly and less force and labour will be necessary -to use the machine.

The perating -means for the crushers, which may comprise arseries of .cams located above the upper-ends:of the-crushers, are arranged preferably so that thesseal is always held :after it has been crushed by any onecrusher until such time as the whole crushing is complete. In this way, all ,change of the wire pulling out is avoided. The cams may be so arranged that one crusher is completely depressed before the following crusher commences to operate, or the second crusher .may commence to operate :before the first cutter has been completely depressed. v

More particularly where the sealing machine is intended for use with seals ,such as ,are' covered thy my .co-pendin patent applicationabove 19.32, serm- No. 29,023

referred to, :i. re. g-sealsacomprising :two channels eaehadapted :to receive a wire permanently attached to one end of the wire by bein corrugated with the end ;of sthe wire thereinoverone half of zits width, the :sealing gmachin'e according t th pre ent, inv nt on may be p v d d with a gripp n mber wh c i ad pt d to p t s al itse -;pr o to e tens on opera w e eby t p v on y s p t ipp n member is renderediunnecessary. 'Ilhe crushing member is preferably in the form -of a .plurality of independent crushers which are operated one af t ther.

The gripping member is preferably operable bythe lever ,or -handle .used :to operate the crushing -or icorrugating inembers.

,In order that :this invention may be the more clearly tunderstood =;and readily carried into effeet, 1 'will proceed zto :describe the, same with ref ercnoe to the accompanying drawings which illustrate =by wayof example .and not of limitation one convenient constructional embodiment of this inyentionyandin whichr- Eigure -1;is ,a frontelevation ;of ,the complete machine particularly adapted ier use with seals such as are -,described :in coepending patent application :ahove aeferredto, and

Eigure 2 rise. plan view-ref the same.

Figurefi is a partial front elevation .of the machine with the rfront and top 'cover plates removed. V

Figure 4 ,is a section .on :line -44 -.of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on ,-line:5-.5.of,Figure. 3.

Figure .6 is aperspective-view showing-a length of wire with ;a .sealtattached thereto .ready for binding a {box crease and for being sealed with the machine according-to the present invention:

Figure 7 is :a sectional endelevation: of the machine showing the pants .intthe position in which ;the gripping ;member is gripping the seal.

Eiguites 8, A-to F, are somewhat diagrammatic views showing the ,position of the various operativetparts of :the machine in their different positions throughout the .cperation of sealing,

and I Figures 9, A and-B are views showing .a modified method .of .-operating:.the gripping .member.

Referring ,now to the drawings, ,the sealing machine therein illustrated comprises ,a base a adapted to rest on the case to be bound, .the front (edge of said .base being bevelled away as at a tofacilit'ate .the withdrawalof the vmachine after .the wire has beensealed. This base m-is provided with an upright back plate 12 having outstandin vl-b ssai 3b? .at its edges which extend above the upper end of the back plate I), as at 11 to form bearings for a cam shaft which extends across the top of the back plate I). Between the bosses b on the back plate are arranged a cutter (2 and three corrugating or crushing members e, f and 9!, these parts being preferably of rectangular cross-section and slidable against projecting separating pieces h carried by the back plate b. Each of the members (2, e, f and. g is cut away as at y to receive a compression spring is, the upper end of which bears on the upper end of the cut away portion in the members, and the lower end of which bears on a pin or abutment Z provided on a front cover m which takes over the bosses b to enclose the sliding parts. These compression springs k thus operate to keep the upper ends of the sliding mem'- bers d, e, f and g in contact with the cams d e f and g on the cam shaft 0, one cam being provided for each member.

In addition to these sliding members, the machine is also provided with a U-shaped gripping member n which is arranged inside the flanges or bosses b on the back plate I). The upper ends of this U-shaped member n also hear on cams 1 towards the ends of the'cam shaft, a compression spring 11. being provided at each end to raise the U-shaped member n. The base of the machine a is provided with an anvil a which is corrugated as at a to correspond with the corrugations in the seal and also decide the shape of the corrugations to be applied to that half of the seal which is not previously corrugated.

Means are provided for rotating the cam shaft, preferably by means of a handle o which may be rocked backward and forward to drive the cam shaft 0 through suitable gearing o and a ratchet and pawl device, not shown. This handle 0 may be arranged to be rocked backward and forward in a plane at right angles to the back plate, in which case it may be pivoted at one end of the back plate and drive the cam shaft through spur wheels, or it may be arranged to rock backwards and forwards in a plane parallel to the plane of the back plate as shown, in which case it may be pivoted on the back plate and operate the cam shaft through bevel pinions 0 or wheel and worm. It will readily be appreciated, however, that the means employed to operate the cam shaft form no essential part of the present invention and consequently any other means may be employed.

At the end of the back plate 1) remote from the cam shaft operating handle 0, the base plate a is provided with an extension a which is set back from the front of the base plate (see Figure 2) and which carries a wheel 12 having a gapped upstanding rim this wheel being adapted to be rotated through a ratchet and pawl device (not shown) by means of a suitable handle p to tension the wire.

The bottom of the U-shaped member n is shaped to correspond to the front half of the anvil a on the base plate a and the lower ends of the three corrugating members e, f and g are shaped to take into the depressions'a in the rear half of the anvil. Thus the gripping member is of a width or thickness equal to approximately one half of the anvil and the corrugating members c, J and g occupy the remaining space.

Describing now the operation of the device, a length of wire q (Figure 6) suitable for the case to be bound and having permanently attached thereto a seal r corrugated as at'r in accordance with my said co-pending patent application is taken and the machine is placed in position on the case. The wire is then passed round the case in an anti-clockwise direction, say, and the free end is threaded through the uncorrugated half r of the seal 1-. The seal r with the wire therein is then placed in position on the anvil or with the uncorrugated half of the seal to the rear, i. e. under the separate crushing members. In this position the corrugated, half .of. the seal will, of course, lie on the front half of the anvil under the U-shaped gripping member 12. The position of the moving parts is then that shown in Figure 8A and the relative disposition of the seal and the corrugating members and the gripping members may be seen in Figure 7. The first operation is to depress the gripping member 'n, and this is accomplished either by the first rocking movement of the handle 0 or by rotating the pinion by hand, since there is, on this movement, only the pressure of the springs to be overcome. Depression of the U-shaped gripping member n is caused by the corresponding cam surfaces n on the cam shaft 0 which are so shaped as to hold the gripping member n during the whole of the rest of the operation. The position of the parts is then as shown in Figure 8B, and it will be. seen that the one end of the wire and the seal are firmly held. As the gripping member 1L is depressed, the shaped lower end thereof takes into the upper corrugated surface r of the front half of the seal 1* and so, in addition to holding the seal firmly by pressing the same into the corrugated front half of the anvil, also accurately locates the seal on the anvil due to the shaping of the anvil, corrugated seal and gripping member.

After the seal has been gripped, Figure 8B, the free end of the wire q is placed across the tensioning Wheel 10 in the slots in the rim p thereof, and the tensioning handle or lever 12 is rocked to tension the wire to the required degree. When this has been attained, the cam shaft operating handle 0 is actuated to rotate the cam shaft 0. Now the cam surfaces d e f and g on the cam shaft 0 are so shaped that the following operation takes place. Firstly, the end corrugating or crushing member g remote from the tensioning device is forced down to corrugate the uncorrug'ated half of the seal 1 at that point, Figure 80. When the corrugation has been effected, it will be seen that the wire q is held firmly in the seal T but the length of wire between the tensioning device and this end ofthe seal is placed under great tension. If, therefore, an attempt were made to corrugate the rear half of the seal at another point, the wire q would probably snap, in addition to which a very great force would be required to corrugate the'wire under this tension. Consequently, I arrange for'jth'e wire to be out between the end of the seal and the tensioning device before any further corrugations take place. This is eifected by reason of the shaping of the cam d which operates'the cutter d and which is arranged at the end of the back plate nearest the tensioning device. After the first corrugation has been put in the seal (Figure 80) the cutter 01 operates to sever the wire at the further end of the seal (Figure 81)). Further corrugation of the seal r and the wire q therein is, therefore, a simple matter as the wire q from its free end to the corrugated point (the part which now has to be corrugated) is now no longer under tension. After the cutter d has severed the wire q, therefore, the remaining those crushers which have served {their ,function may remain down in contact with the-corrugations which they have forced in the seal, while the other crushers .operatebrmay be allowed to rise under theaction of their springs due to the shape of the cam surfaces onlthe cam shaft. It is preferablahowever, always"to"have the seal and ,the wire therein gripped "at'theirear'half of 'the seal immediately'behind-the point at which anycorrugating is-taking place.

Due to the severing of the wire after *the *fi-rst corrugation, a certain amount of slip may take place of the wire in the seal during it-he further corrugations :and consequently the power necessary to corrugate the seal will be materially reduced.

-After the complete operations of gripping, corrugating and cutting (Figures SE to F) have been carried out, the gripper and sliding members rise to free the seal, the cam surfaces being suitably shaped to secure this result, the parts thus returning to the position of Figure 8A.

The machine may then be pulled away from under the wire which will snap down into position on the case.

The upper ends of all the members on which the cams bear may be provided with rollers s to lessen the friction and ease the operation.

If desired, one or more of the intermediate crushers may be provided at their lower ends with dies so that instead of corrugating the seal they emboss the upper surface with an initial or initials, trade mark or other desired indicia.

In this case, if the seal itself is of the type described in my co-pending patent application, Serial No: 629,024, filed August 16, 1932, now issued as Patent Number 1,948,719, dated Feb. 27, 1934, the longitudinal dividing rib in the upper surface of the seal may be discontinued in the centre to provide a flat surface to receive the mark in question from the plungers which are, of course, worked from the cam shaft as described in the specification of said patent application.

Many modifications of the above described constructional form of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and such modifications may, of course, be carried into practice without departing from the scope of the present invention. More particularly do I wish to state that I do not confine myself either to the method of operating the corrugating members above described or to the relative disposition of the parts. Any suitable means of causing successive operation of the crushing members may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Also, the upwardly projecting parts of the U-shaped gripping member 11. may be disposed in recesses in the outside of the bosses or flanges b on the back plate b instead of in recesses on the inside thereof.

Again, the gripping member need not be op erated from the cam shaft or the other means employed to operate the corrugating members. Figures 9A and B show a suitable modified method of operating the gripping members. In this modification the gripping member 1b, is slidable in the bosses or flanges on the back plate I) :as'before, but the cam ;n' on'.the,-.cam shafl'nc :are dispensed with. Springs 11. may still ibeaprovided to raise the gripper, ifdesired. :In place of the-cams n I==provide .a plate t-which 'is Slidable backwards and forwards in suitable bearings in the bosses-or flanges :bhon the back plate 1b. '?This plategt projects i011 :either side of the bosses b and is provided with two :or snore inclined slots t the slower ends :of which-fare extended in a direction parallel with the idirection of movement of the plate :13 asat ti.

o. The gripping member :n isywproyided with,;a

each of :the slots -t Figure 9A shows theiposition .of the parts with the gripper raised, :but itwill :be seen that as the plate ';t.,;=is slid in the direction of the arrow the slots t will ride about the :pins u and; w-ilkforcedthe sgripping member 21. down to grip. the :seal in the manner as the same was forced down by the came 11?. The pins 11. enter the straight parts t of the slots when the gripper has been fully depressed, Figure 9B, and the gripper will be held down and will grip the seal throughout the following operations. pleted the plate t may be moved or knocked back to its original position to release the seal.

I claim:

1. A method of securing a tie box strap about a box or case, said tie having permanently attached to one end thereof a seal with a channel to receive the other end of the tie which consists in threading the free end of the tie through said channel tensioning the tie, corrugating the channel-part of the seal and the enclosed tie at one or more points, cutting the tie between the seal and the point at which it is tensioned and then corrugating the seal at one or more further points along the channel part.

2.-A method of securing a tie box strap about a box or case, said tie at one end having permanently attached thereto by means of corrugations, a seal with an uncorrugated channel to receive the other end of the tie, which con-' sists in gripping the seal at the corrugated part, tensioning the tie after it has been threaded through said uncorrugated channel, corrugating the channel-part of the seal and the enclosed tie at one or more points, cutting the tie between the seal and the point at which it is tensioned and then corrugating the seal at one or more further points along the channel part.

3. In a tie sealing machine of the character described, the combination of a tie tensioning device, an anvil having a corrugated profile and a cutting edge at one end, a gripper operating over a portion of said anvil, a plurality of corrugating members operating over the remaining portion of the anvil, a cutter cooperating with the edge in the anvil, and a series of cams operating together, to operate the gripper, then one or more of the corrugating memtions in the seal, a slidable gripper shaped on its After the sealing has been com-' corrugations in the seal and to press the corrugations into the depressions in the anvil, and meansoperating said members successively to corrugate and permanently attach the seal to the loose end of the tie wire.

5. A sealing machine for corrugating seals which have a corrugated part permanently attached to one end of a tie wire and a channeled part loosely attached to the other end of the wire, which comprises means for gripping the seal along the part thereof attached to the first end of the tie wire, a corrugating member provided with a plurality of independently operable members, and a series of cams to successively operate said gripping means and independently operable members to first grip the seal along the portion thereof attached to the tie and thereafter corrugate and attach the seal to the loose end of the tie wire.

under surface to correspond to the shape of the 6. In a sealing machine, the combination of a tensioning device for a metal tie wire having one end thereof permanently attached to a seal, the other end of the tie wire being loosely embraced by the seal, a cutter to severe the tie wire, a plurality of independently operable corrugating members to attach the loose end of the seal to the other end of the wire, the corrugating members being spaced from the cutter, and means to operate one or more of the corrugating members furthest from the cutter, thereafter the cutter and finally the remainder of the corrugating members.

.7. A sealing machine, as claimed in claim 6, including a gripper operated by said means to grip the seal about the attached end of the tie wire during operation of the cutter and corrugating members.

WILLIAM KING. 

